December 27, 2023 • 19 mins
As the crisp Christmas air filled our lungs, my son Aspen and I embarked on a climb that would test our limits and bond us in ways we never imagined. The Manitou Incline, with its staggering 2,768 steps, was our Everest, a challenge we accepted with equal parts excitement and trepidation. Join us as we share the formidable journey up this Colorado monolith, where each step upwards was a lesson in preparation, pacemaking, and the unyielding spirit of perseverance. This isn't just a story of a hike; it's a testament to the emotional complexities that holidays and family can stir within us, and the pride that comes from conquering more than just mountain peaks.
Picture the incline as life's metaphorical climb and every step a chance to lay down our judgments, to move forward with trust and a clear focus on the goals that guide us. Through the ascent, we realized that the summit is more than just an endpoint—it's a breathtaking perspective to admire the path traveled and to set sights on new horizons. This episode isn't merely about reaching the top; it's about savoring the moments in between, understanding the emotional ties to our aspirations, and finding fulfillment from the journey itself. Ascend with us, and you might just see your own inclines in a transformative new light.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to Go.
Ask Sawyer, a special episodecoming to you from Colorado
Springs, colorado.
I am here visiting my oldestson and I'm here with my
youngest son just doing some funthings, and my son, aspen, and
I, on Christmas because Tristanhad to work we decided to do the
(00:21):
Manitow incline and I don'tknow if anyone has ever done it.
This is my second time doing itand both times were really
really hard.
I did it last year Thanksgiving, I did it last year
Thanksgiving and it was justlovely.
It was just wonderful.
It was really really hard, butI was so proud of myself for
doing it and I purposely did itat sunrise.
And then this year I got to doit with Aspen and it was just
(00:44):
such a different experience forso many reasons.
So I kind of wanted to make myepisode today about the lessons
I took away from this incline,because, because I overthink and
because I'm always in my headand, yes, everything I do and
say is that deep I thought itwas really cool to reflect on
the different things that I wentthrough while I was getting up
there, while I was going throughit all.
(01:04):
So that's what our episodetoday is going to be about and
happy holidays to everyonegetting through it.
I don't know about you, but I'mkind of a scrooge when it comes
to the holidays, like I love itand I hate it.
I think there's differentreasons around that.
A lot of it has to do withbeing with someone or not with
someone, family, divorced,having to be here and there and
(01:25):
up and down and left and rightand I don't know it.
Just I don't always have thesame cheer and shine as I do
every year, so I really strugglewith it.
But I really enjoyed that thisyear I was able to be in a place
that made me happy with my boysand just relaxed.
So the Manitow Incline, forthose of you who don't know, is
in Manitow Springs, colorado.
(01:46):
It is a total of 2,768 stepsstraight up the elevation.
You start at 6,600 feet and youend at 8,550 feet, so you are
definitely going up really fast,even if you're moving slow and
it's really hard to breathe.
(02:06):
The steps are short and tall.
They're all kind of wood plankbased and it is gorgeous, like.
The view which I'm going totalk about from the top is
absolutely spectacular and Iwould highly recommend anyone
that came out here this shouldbe on your bucket list.
I would just recommend to knowwhat the weather is going to
look like.
Bring layers, so that you cantake layers off.
Bring water maybe a lightbackpack that you can keep water
(02:30):
in.
But you want your hands freeand you want to be comfortable,
so let's get down to it.
Let's talk about it.
Number one prepare but be readyto not be ready.
Sorry about my gunner in theback.
I took him with me to Coloradoand there's someone outside no
one I know, but someone.
Anyways, lesson number oneprepare but be ready, not to be
(02:50):
ready.
So often in life we want to be100% prepared for whatever it is
.
This podcast is a great exampleof I wanted to be prepared, but
then I realized I would neverbe fully prepared, so I just
needed to start.
And I think anything scarywhether it's a new project, a
new venture, a new job, a newrelationship you have to be
(03:13):
ready to understand you're nevergoing to be ready.
You're never going to be 100%ready for that job.
You're going to fall, you'regoing to make mistakes, you're
going to need to learn, even inrelationships and in new
adventures, and that's whatmakes you stronger.
So often, I think our worldtells us that our mistakes and
our failures and our hiccupslike the first time it's like oh
, you made a mistake, well, Imust be the worst, but really no
(03:36):
one is ever ready for any of it.
So prepare but be ready to notbe ready.
Go at your own pace.
So there were so many differentpeople on the incline Ages,
accents, athletic abilities,clothing people that there was a
guy in his underwear thatapparently runs up and down this
(03:57):
three times.
I don't know if he does it aday or on the weekends, but he's
just in his underwear, justchilling, singing Merry
Christmas.
He was singing songs, he wassaying hello to everybody.
And then there were the peoplethat came that maybe had not
looked this up at all, so theycame in there big for coats, or
they came with a face full ofmakeup and their hair was done
and they didn't have the correctboots on.
(04:18):
Everyone is gonna show up astheir own person and if we're
really on this journey, if we'rereally going to the top, we
just need to let people be.
Just let them be themselves.
Let them show up as themselves.
We don't need to criticize, wedon't need to point out, we
don't need to judge.
Just let them be, because thejourney is gonna be hard enough
(04:39):
for ourselves.
People are gonna be faster andslower.
There were plenty of people thatwere just trudging all the way
up, moving past me, pushing pastme my son Aspen.
He was so kind he would go up afew steps and he would stop and
wait for me, cause you alsohave to understand the altitude.
I could not breathe, like I wasbreathing so hard.
He's like mom, are you gonna beokay?
(05:00):
I'm like, yeah, I'll be fine.
And I felt so silly and sostupid.
I was so out of breath A yearbefore I had done this and I was
still out of breath, but I wasin so much better shape so I
know a lot of that was in myhead Like you used to be so much
better than this.
And I kept telling him like,just go at your own pace.
And he's like mom, I'm gonnawait for you.
But eventually he justbasically ran all the way up the
(05:21):
incline.
Again, he's 17 and I am not 17.
People are gonna be quittingall over.
There were a lot of people thatI saw, couples arguing, friends
talking I don't wanna do thisanymore.
I can't do this.
I'm not right, I'm not ready.
And again, you just have to letthem be.
You just have to let themunderstand that not everyone is
(05:42):
going to be on the same journey.
There were times I wanna belike you got this, and sometimes
I did.
I walked by and I was like yougot this.
But there's gonna be a lot ofpeople that are gonna attempt
and they're gonna turn aroundright away because maybe they
weren't prepared at all or maybethey just doubted themselves so
much that they didn't even givethemselves a shot.
And again, even the people thatare faster than you.
(06:03):
There were so many times peoplepassed me and I was just like,
oh my gosh, I'm going so slow,they must hate me.
You know, when you're walkingand you can hear someone
breathing behind you, well,everyone is breathing heavy on
this incline and all I couldhear was like behind me.
And so I would stop and go offto the left and I was so
irritated like, just go aroundme, oh my gosh.
(06:23):
But again, they weren't mindingme.
They were just moving along attheir own pace, doing what they
had to do.
So go at your own pace.
Slow gets you to the top.
I was doing steps of 10.
So I would do 10 steps and thenI would stop and I would catch
my breath.
And then 10 steps and I wouldstop, and sometimes I would do
more and sometimes I would doless.
(06:43):
But I had to keep tellingmyself I'm gonna get there.
No matter how slow I go, I'mgonna get there.
If I want to get there, I willget there.
So I think sometimes it's alsoa matter of just telling
yourself like we might need togo slower than we want to, but
in the end it's gonna be worthit.
Which brings me to my nextpoint of like stop and reflect.
There were so many times that Iwould stop and sit on the step
(07:05):
and turn around.
I'd have to catch my balancebecause you're really high in
the air.
But you turn around and youjust saw the vast beauty of
God's country and you could seefrom miles and miles and the sun
was just hitting everything.
And you look down like, okay, Icame this far.
Yes, I have so far to go, but Icame this far and it's okay.
(07:27):
I think so often.
I know I don't allow myself tostop sometimes and look back to
see how far I have come, even ifit hasn't been perfect, even if
it hasn't always been linear.
Right, growth is never linear,even if I've tripped and
stumbled along the way.
Where I am now is such abeautiful place and it's so much
(07:48):
further than where I was, andso often I don't think we really
give ourselves time to thinkabout and then, at the same time
, stopping to reset.
Sometimes you need to resetright now, that Christmas to New
Year's Eve, like don't doanything, I get so caught up in
making my lists and making sureI'm busy and making sure I'm
checking everything off that Iforget to just reset.
(08:11):
I need a day of nothing.
I need a week, sometimes, ofnothing, and sometimes that
helps to like launch you intothe whole next chapter or next
level.
But we don't even giveourselves a second to stop and
just reflect.
Holy cow, I'm here.
This is where I prayed I wouldbe years ago, or I never even
thought I would be here, andthen just allow yourself to
(08:31):
reset.
Water is everything.
Water is everything.
First of all, the altitude willjust knock you down and the
only thing to really help you iswater.
Every single time I wanted toquit, I slipped on water and I'm
telling you in life, if you'recrabby, drink water.
If you're angry, drink water.
If you're sleepy, drink water.
If you think you're depressed,go stand in water.
(08:53):
We look past how much water canreally help in so many aspects
of our life.
So water is everything.
I'm just gonna say that.
Take it for what you will.
Your mind will give up longbefore your body.
So my next two points arereally all about your mind.
My inner thoughts can be sogreat and positive and then so
negative.
I really struggled in the middleof the incline with myself.
(09:16):
I struggled to think aboutwhere my fitness level is now.
Jamie used to be so muchfurther along.
You're close, but differently,you were able to go faster.
You didn't run out of breath asmuch.
You were stronger than this.
And then, at the same time, Ifailed to realize I was still
doing it.
Even if it was hard, even if Iwas breathing heavier than I
(09:37):
used to, I was still doing it.
I haven't worked out in thesame way that I have in a year
and I still showed up to theincline and I still did it.
And again, that's where we don'tgive ourself enough credit.
Now I could probably give myfriends all the accolades and
all the credit in the wholeworld, but I have a hard time
giving myself the credit andaccolades, like you're still
(09:57):
showing up.
There are people that cannoteven get up halfway, there are
people that won't even attemptto try.
And here I am taking the breaks, drinking the water, taking it
step by step, and my thoughtstoo.
Like forgot my AirPods.
So of course I'm just alonewith my thoughts and they just
ran rampant.
But it also really gave me atime to sit and think about all
(10:20):
the things I have been pushingdown, all the questions, all the
worries I have really been init with.
I don't even know I got into itwith my family right before I
left and there are some things Iknow I'm hanging onto and I'm
trying to figure out how torelease them, and on that
incline they really popped up alot.
(10:40):
So sometimes, sitting with thatquiet in a really, really hard
moment, some really difficultunderstandings and reflections
of yourself can come up.
But the question is gonna beare you gonna sit with it and
not judge yourself for it, butjust sit with it, allow it to
happen and then allow it toleave?
I really have a hard time notjudging myself reflections, and
(11:00):
I wish I would get over thatbecause the more I realize I
don't need to judge myself, Ican just move on.
Like once you kind of accept asituation and reflect on it and
move around it.
You can just move on.
You have every ability to justput it down and move on.
I was practicing that on theincline, when I would have a
thought and kind of move throughit.
I put my hand to my head andplaced it down on that step,
(11:25):
like okay, I'm done with what Ijust loved.
So in life, when you thinkyou're done, just physically put
your hand to your brain and putit down.
Lesson number nine we all reachthe top at our own pace.
So I kept looking up and Icould see the top and I kept
trying to count the steps, 천"trying to see the people and
estimating them ahead.
Okay, so I think I have 10 moreminutes and I've been doing
(11:47):
this for an hour and it shouldbe 15 more minutes and how many
more steps?
And at the end of the day, if Iwant to get to the top, I am
going to get to the top.
We all are going to get to ourown top in our own way.
Stop rushing the process.
I kept telling myself, jamie,stop rushing.
And I would force myself toturn around and reflect on where
I came without falling down thestairs.
Stop rushing the process, Be init, because at the end of the
(12:10):
day, the goal isn't.
We might think the goal is toget the job or to get the
relationship, or to get thepromotion or to get the raise or
whatever it might be.
But once we get that, there'salways a now one.
So I really had to tell myself,like, once I get to the top, I
hit my goal, but then what?
I have to come back down or Ihave to set a new goal.
(12:32):
So stop trying to rush theprocess to the end, because once
you get there, there's so muchmore.
And I really had to sit withthat because I wanted to be a
teacher like my whole life.
I went back into teaching or toschool when I was in my 30s to
get my teaching certification.
I finally got into teaching andthen I wanted to get my masters.
And then it was like, well, nowwhat?
(12:52):
And then I want, I'm startingto get my doctorate in January
and I know I'm going to hit anow what?
Like when am I going to?
Just, I don't want to say justbe happy with where I am,
because I know I am a personthat loves to grow and evolve.
So it's not about that.
But it's almost like I need toswitch my mindset into how much
emotional weight I hang on thegoal, how much emotional weight
(13:15):
the end I'm putting the end inquotation marks because the end
is never the end.
It's like once you get to thenext level, okay, now what can I
do with this?
I really had to sit with that.
So just understand, we allreach the top.
You're all going to hit yourgoal.
You're all going to reach thetop.
It's just going to take some ofus a different time faster,
slower.
We don't know what baggagewe're carrying along.
(13:37):
And that goes back to my pointnumber two go at your own pace.
If I wanted to make my wholelife around podcasting and make
millions of doing this, and Ijust keep seeing all these other
people flying past me and Istart to judge myself and then
I'm like, oh, whatever, I'm justgoing to give up.
Well, how much time are theyputting in?
Have they put in money?
Have they hired a coach?
(13:57):
Are they doing this everysingle day?
Am I like?
You see we, social media hascaused us to look at other
people and their lives and howfar they have gotten, but we
don't see all the other thingsthey've been through and even
all the happy, smiling faces.
I think we all know a handfulof people that you're like
that's not real.
I know we want it to be real,but how many people actually get
to that goal and they're stillunhappy?
(14:20):
That was something to thinkabout.
How many people hit their goaland they are still unhappy?
So it's really not even aboutthe goal, it's about something
inside them.
Which brings me to number 10 wasmy favorite the view from the
top.
So I looked up and I finallysaw Aspen and he was like come
on, mom.
And there were like 20 morestairs but my legs were jello,
like jello.
(14:40):
He's like mom, like you'reright here, just come on, I'm
climbing.
And I'm climbing and I get upthere and he quick helps me up
and we're walking around andtrying to catch my breath.
Aspen, take a picture in thisand that and I was just kind of
like wobbling all over and hegrabbed my arm and he said mom,
slow down, catch your breath,we're not going anywhere.
We're not going anywhere.
He said look like, just lookaround, like, take your time.
(15:00):
I've had a few people recentlytell me just take your time.
I don't know what I feel like,I have to hurry up and rush
forward.
But that view from the top, I'mtelling you, was everything.
It made every step, every doubt, every time I wanted to cry,
every sip of water, every time Idoubted myself, it made
everything a thousand percentworth it.
(15:23):
A thousand percent, I wouldtell anyone if they were doing
that incline crawl up it if youhave to, because that view from
the top is so, so worth it.
And as I was just kind ofreflecting on how that was all
just, I mean, all of it is justso connected to everything we go
through in life and everydecision that we make and every
turn we take.
We're going to try to prepare,but we have to understand we're
(15:45):
never going to be ready.
We cannot compare We've heardthat a million times.
We cannot compare ourself toanyone around us, because no one
is us.
No one has been through what wehave been through.
You will get to the top, nomatter how fast or how slow you
go.
You have to stop and reflect.
You have to stop and rest.
Otherwise it's not even worthit.
(16:05):
Then why are you doing?
Then?
It feels like you're just doingit to check off boxes.
We have to remember that wateris everything, literally
everything.
Your mind will give up longbefore your body does.
It's going to tell you can't doit.
It's going to tell you're notworth it.
It's going to give you thatimposter syndrome.
It is going to tell you who doyou think you are doing this?
But at the end of the day,you're you, and if it makes you
(16:27):
happy and you feel fulfilled,just do it.
We all are going to reach thetop our own top in our own time,
and the view is going to be soworth it and I can guarantee you
you are going to give yourselfthe biggest hug and be so
thankful that you didn't give upon you.
I had a really greatconversation with a friend the
other day and we were talkingabout trusting people and we had
(16:49):
discussed how you're nevergoing to be able to fully trust
anyone until you can trustyourself.
And I know that, but as Irepeated this in conversation,
it hit me so hard you will neverfully trust anyone until you
can trust yourself.
And then today I saw a post onFacebook by a teacher friend who
(17:09):
talked about how she is socomfortable standing in her
power on her own.
On her words, she will never.
People, please, if you're goingto be in her life, be in her
life.
If you're going to leave, shewill never be afraid of losing
people, and that is my newstrive.
I never want to be afraid tolose someone.
If I am showing up asauthentically me and if I am
(17:30):
standing in my word, I neverwant to be afraid to lose people
and if I have to, they don'tneed to be and anyone that makes
you feel low, anyone that makesyou feel like you are not worth
it or not worthy, or that youneed to beg and grovel or I
don't even know.
People have all sorts of waysof manipulating to make you feel
bad, have something going oninside them, they are looking
(17:53):
for some sort of validation,they are struggling with
something in themselves.
Their journey on that incline.
They are looking around, theyare judging other people, they
are stopping.
They weren't even kind ofprepared.
You have to remember in order toreally show up in your life and
be fully you and pleaseunderstand I have lots of flaws
(18:13):
around this the more you trustyourself, the more you will
trust others.
The more you trust yourself,the easier it will be to get to
the top.
The more you trust yourself,the more you will know when to
drink water.
The more you trust yourself,the more you'll understand when
it's time to sit and reflect andbe quiet.
The more you trust yourself,the more you will cheer yourself
on when you're feeling you justcan't do it.
(18:35):
So Manitow Incline and ManitowSprings I highly recommend.
It's so amazing.
The view from the top is alwaysworth it.
Let's move into 2024 in adifferent mindset.
Learn how to trust yourself.
Learn how to stand on your wordand reflect on your actions and
learn from them.
There are way too many goodpeople and way too many good
(18:57):
things in this world to get hungup on hate.
Have a beautiful day, gooutside, drink some water and
sit in the sunshine Till nexttime.
Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to Go.
Ask Sawyer, a special episodecoming to you from Colorado
Springs, colorado.
I am here visiting my oldestson and I'm here with my
youngest son just doing some funthings, and my son, aspen, and
I, on Christmas because Tristanhad to work we decided to do the
(00:21):
Manitow incline and I don'tknow if anyone has ever done it.
This is my second time doing itand both times were really
really hard.
I did it last year Thanksgiving, I did it last year
Thanksgiving and it was justlovely.
It was just wonderful.
It was really really hard, butI was so proud of myself for
doing it and I purposely did itat sunrise.
And then this year I got to doit with Aspen and it was just
(00:44):
such a different experience forso many reasons.
So I kind of wanted to make myepisode today about the lessons
I took away from this incline,because, because I overthink and
because I'm always in my headand, yes, everything I do and
say is that deep I thought itwas really cool to reflect on
the different things that I wentthrough while I was getting up
there, while I was going throughit all.
(01:04):
So that's what our episodetoday is going to be about and
happy holidays to everyonegetting through it.
I don't know about you, but I'mkind of a scrooge when it comes
to the holidays, like I love itand I hate it.
I think there's differentreasons around that.
A lot of it has to do withbeing with someone or not with
someone, family, divorced,having to be here and there and
(01:25):
up and down and left and rightand I don't know it.
Just I don't always have thesame cheer and shine as I do
every year, so I really strugglewith it.
But I really enjoyed that thisyear I was able to be in a place
that made me happy with my boysand just relaxed.
So the Manitow Incline, forthose of you who don't know, is
in Manitow Springs, colorado.
(01:46):
It is a total of 2,768 stepsstraight up the elevation.
You start at 6,600 feet and youend at 8,550 feet, so you are
definitely going up really fast,even if you're moving slow and
it's really hard to breathe.
(02:06):
The steps are short and tall.
They're all kind of wood plankbased and it is gorgeous, like.
The view which I'm going totalk about from the top is
absolutely spectacular and Iwould highly recommend anyone
that came out here this shouldbe on your bucket list.
I would just recommend to knowwhat the weather is going to
look like.
Bring layers, so that you cantake layers off.
Bring water maybe a lightbackpack that you can keep water
(02:30):
in.
But you want your hands freeand you want to be comfortable,
so let's get down to it.
Let's talk about it.
Number one prepare but be readyto not be ready.
Sorry about my gunner in theback.
I took him with me to Coloradoand there's someone outside no
one I know, but someone.
Anyways, lesson number oneprepare but be ready, not to be
(02:50):
ready.
So often in life we want to be100% prepared for whatever it is
.
This podcast is a great exampleof I wanted to be prepared, but
then I realized I would neverbe fully prepared, so I just
needed to start.
And I think anything scarywhether it's a new project, a
new venture, a new job, a newrelationship you have to be
(03:13):
ready to understand you're nevergoing to be ready.
You're never going to be 100%ready for that job.
You're going to fall, you'regoing to make mistakes, you're
going to need to learn, even inrelationships and in new
adventures, and that's whatmakes you stronger.
So often, I think our worldtells us that our mistakes and
our failures and our hiccupslike the first time it's like oh
, you made a mistake, well, Imust be the worst, but really no
(03:36):
one is ever ready for any of it.
So prepare but be ready to notbe ready.
Go at your own pace.
So there were so many differentpeople on the incline Ages,
accents, athletic abilities,clothing people that there was a
guy in his underwear thatapparently runs up and down this
(03:57):
three times.
I don't know if he does it aday or on the weekends, but he's
just in his underwear, justchilling, singing Merry
Christmas.
He was singing songs, he wassaying hello to everybody.
And then there were the peoplethat came that maybe had not
looked this up at all, so theycame in there big for coats, or
they came with a face full ofmakeup and their hair was done
and they didn't have the correctboots on.
(04:18):
Everyone is gonna show up astheir own person and if we're
really on this journey, if we'rereally going to the top, we
just need to let people be.
Just let them be themselves.
Let them show up as themselves.
We don't need to criticize, wedon't need to point out, we
don't need to judge.
Just let them be, because thejourney is gonna be hard enough
(04:39):
for ourselves.
People are gonna be faster andslower.
There were plenty of people thatwere just trudging all the way
up, moving past me, pushing pastme my son Aspen.
He was so kind he would go up afew steps and he would stop and
wait for me, cause you alsohave to understand the altitude.
I could not breathe, like I wasbreathing so hard.
He's like mom, are you gonna beokay?
(05:00):
I'm like, yeah, I'll be fine.
And I felt so silly and sostupid.
I was so out of breath A yearbefore I had done this and I was
still out of breath, but I wasin so much better shape so I
know a lot of that was in myhead Like you used to be so much
better than this.
And I kept telling him like,just go at your own pace.
And he's like mom, I'm gonnawait for you.
But eventually he justbasically ran all the way up the
(05:21):
incline.
Again, he's 17 and I am not 17.
People are gonna be quittingall over.
There were a lot of people thatI saw, couples arguing, friends
talking I don't wanna do thisanymore.
I can't do this.
I'm not right, I'm not ready.
And again, you just have to letthem be.
You just have to let themunderstand that not everyone is
(05:42):
going to be on the same journey.
There were times I wanna belike you got this, and sometimes
I did.
I walked by and I was like yougot this.
But there's gonna be a lot ofpeople that are gonna attempt
and they're gonna turn aroundright away because maybe they
weren't prepared at all or maybethey just doubted themselves so
much that they didn't even givethemselves a shot.
And again, even the people thatare faster than you.
(06:03):
There were so many times peoplepassed me and I was just like,
oh my gosh, I'm going so slow,they must hate me.
You know, when you're walkingand you can hear someone
breathing behind you, well,everyone is breathing heavy on
this incline and all I couldhear was like behind me.
And so I would stop and go offto the left and I was so
irritated like, just go aroundme, oh my gosh.
(06:23):
But again, they weren't mindingme.
They were just moving along attheir own pace, doing what they
had to do.
So go at your own pace.
Slow gets you to the top.
I was doing steps of 10.
So I would do 10 steps and thenI would stop and I would catch
my breath.
And then 10 steps and I wouldstop, and sometimes I would do
more and sometimes I would doless.
(06:43):
But I had to keep tellingmyself I'm gonna get there.
No matter how slow I go, I'mgonna get there.
If I want to get there, I willget there.
So I think sometimes it's alsoa matter of just telling
yourself like we might need togo slower than we want to, but
in the end it's gonna be worthit.
Which brings me to my nextpoint of like stop and reflect.
There were so many times that Iwould stop and sit on the step
(07:05):
and turn around.
I'd have to catch my balancebecause you're really high in
the air.
But you turn around and youjust saw the vast beauty of
God's country and you could seefrom miles and miles and the sun
was just hitting everything.
And you look down like, okay, Icame this far.
Yes, I have so far to go, but Icame this far and it's okay.
(07:27):
I think so often.
I know I don't allow myself tostop sometimes and look back to
see how far I have come, even ifit hasn't been perfect, even if
it hasn't always been linear.
Right, growth is never linear,even if I've tripped and
stumbled along the way.
Where I am now is such abeautiful place and it's so much
(07:48):
further than where I was, andso often I don't think we really
give ourselves time to thinkabout and then, at the same time
, stopping to reset.
Sometimes you need to resetright now, that Christmas to New
Year's Eve, like don't doanything, I get so caught up in
making my lists and making sureI'm busy and making sure I'm
checking everything off that Iforget to just reset.
(08:11):
I need a day of nothing.
I need a week, sometimes, ofnothing, and sometimes that
helps to like launch you intothe whole next chapter or next
level.
But we don't even giveourselves a second to stop and
just reflect.
Holy cow, I'm here.
This is where I prayed I wouldbe years ago, or I never even
thought I would be here, andthen just allow yourself to
(08:31):
reset.
Water is everything.
Water is everything.
First of all, the altitude willjust knock you down and the
only thing to really help you iswater.
Every single time I wanted toquit, I slipped on water and I'm
telling you in life, if you'recrabby, drink water.
If you're angry, drink water.
If you're sleepy, drink water.
If you think you're depressed,go stand in water.
(08:53):
We look past how much water canreally help in so many aspects
of our life.
So water is everything.
I'm just gonna say that.
Take it for what you will.
Your mind will give up longbefore your body.
So my next two points arereally all about your mind.
My inner thoughts can be sogreat and positive and then so
negative.
I really struggled in the middleof the incline with myself.
(09:16):
I struggled to think aboutwhere my fitness level is now.
Jamie used to be so muchfurther along.
You're close, but differently,you were able to go faster.
You didn't run out of breath asmuch.
You were stronger than this.
And then, at the same time, Ifailed to realize I was still
doing it.
Even if it was hard, even if Iwas breathing heavier than I
(09:37):
used to, I was still doing it.
I haven't worked out in thesame way that I have in a year
and I still showed up to theincline and I still did it.
And again, that's where we don'tgive ourself enough credit.
Now I could probably give myfriends all the accolades and
all the credit in the wholeworld, but I have a hard time
giving myself the credit andaccolades, like you're still
(09:57):
showing up.
There are people that cannoteven get up halfway, there are
people that won't even attemptto try.
And here I am taking the breaks, drinking the water, taking it
step by step, and my thoughtstoo.
Like forgot my AirPods.
So of course I'm just alonewith my thoughts and they just
ran rampant.
But it also really gave me atime to sit and think about all
(10:20):
the things I have been pushingdown, all the questions, all the
worries I have really been init with.
I don't even know I got into itwith my family right before I
left and there are some things Iknow I'm hanging onto and I'm
trying to figure out how torelease them, and on that
incline they really popped up alot.
(10:40):
So sometimes, sitting with thatquiet in a really, really hard
moment, some really difficultunderstandings and reflections
of yourself can come up.
But the question is gonna beare you gonna sit with it and
not judge yourself for it, butjust sit with it, allow it to
happen and then allow it toleave?
I really have a hard time notjudging myself reflections, and
(11:00):
I wish I would get over thatbecause the more I realize I
don't need to judge myself, Ican just move on.
Like once you kind of accept asituation and reflect on it and
move around it.
You can just move on.
You have every ability to justput it down and move on.
I was practicing that on theincline, when I would have a
thought and kind of move throughit.
I put my hand to my head andplaced it down on that step,
(11:25):
like okay, I'm done with what Ijust loved.
So in life, when you thinkyou're done, just physically put
your hand to your brain and putit down.
Lesson number nine we all reachthe top at our own pace.
So I kept looking up and Icould see the top and I kept
trying to count the steps, 천"trying to see the people and
estimating them ahead.
Okay, so I think I have 10 moreminutes and I've been doing
(11:47):
this for an hour and it shouldbe 15 more minutes and how many
more steps?
And at the end of the day, if Iwant to get to the top, I am
going to get to the top.
We all are going to get to ourown top in our own way.
Stop rushing the process.
I kept telling myself, jamie,stop rushing.
And I would force myself toturn around and reflect on where
I came without falling down thestairs.
Stop rushing the process, Be init, because at the end of the
(12:10):
day, the goal isn't.
We might think the goal is toget the job or to get the
relationship, or to get thepromotion or to get the raise or
whatever it might be.
But once we get that, there'salways a now one.
So I really had to tell myself,like, once I get to the top, I
hit my goal, but then what?
I have to come back down or Ihave to set a new goal.
(12:32):
So stop trying to rush theprocess to the end, because once
you get there, there's so muchmore.
And I really had to sit withthat because I wanted to be a
teacher like my whole life.
I went back into teaching or toschool when I was in my 30s to
get my teaching certification.
I finally got into teaching andthen I wanted to get my masters.
And then it was like, well, nowwhat?
(12:52):
And then I want, I'm startingto get my doctorate in January
and I know I'm going to hit anow what?
Like when am I going to?
Just, I don't want to say justbe happy with where I am,
because I know I am a personthat loves to grow and evolve.
So it's not about that.
But it's almost like I need toswitch my mindset into how much
emotional weight I hang on thegoal, how much emotional weight
(13:15):
the end I'm putting the end inquotation marks because the end
is never the end.
It's like once you get to thenext level, okay, now what can I
do with this?
I really had to sit with that.
So just understand, we allreach the top.
You're all going to hit yourgoal.
You're all going to reach thetop.
It's just going to take some ofus a different time faster,
slower.
We don't know what baggagewe're carrying along.
(13:37):
And that goes back to my pointnumber two go at your own pace.
If I wanted to make my wholelife around podcasting and make
millions of doing this, and Ijust keep seeing all these other
people flying past me and Istart to judge myself and then
I'm like, oh, whatever, I'm justgoing to give up.
Well, how much time are theyputting in?
Have they put in money?
Have they hired a coach?
(13:57):
Are they doing this everysingle day?
Am I like?
You see we, social media hascaused us to look at other
people and their lives and howfar they have gotten, but we
don't see all the other thingsthey've been through and even
all the happy, smiling faces.
I think we all know a handfulof people that you're like
that's not real.
I know we want it to be real,but how many people actually get
to that goal and they're stillunhappy?
(14:20):
That was something to thinkabout.
How many people hit their goaland they are still unhappy?
So it's really not even aboutthe goal, it's about something
inside them.
Which brings me to number 10 wasmy favorite the view from the
top.
So I looked up and I finallysaw Aspen and he was like come
on, mom.
And there were like 20 morestairs but my legs were jello,
like jello.
(14:40):
He's like mom, like you'reright here, just come on, I'm
climbing.
And I'm climbing and I get upthere and he quick helps me up
and we're walking around andtrying to catch my breath.
Aspen, take a picture in thisand that and I was just kind of
like wobbling all over and hegrabbed my arm and he said mom,
slow down, catch your breath,we're not going anywhere.
We're not going anywhere.
He said look like, just lookaround, like, take your time.
(15:00):
I've had a few people recentlytell me just take your time.
I don't know what I feel like,I have to hurry up and rush
forward.
But that view from the top, I'mtelling you, was everything.
It made every step, every doubt, every time I wanted to cry,
every sip of water, every time Idoubted myself, it made
everything a thousand percentworth it.
(15:23):
A thousand percent, I wouldtell anyone if they were doing
that incline crawl up it if youhave to, because that view from
the top is so, so worth it.
And as I was just kind ofreflecting on how that was all
just, I mean, all of it is justso connected to everything we go
through in life and everydecision that we make and every
turn we take.
We're going to try to prepare,but we have to understand we're
(15:45):
never going to be ready.
We cannot compare We've heardthat a million times.
We cannot compare ourself toanyone around us, because no one
is us.
No one has been through what wehave been through.
You will get to the top, nomatter how fast or how slow you
go.
You have to stop and reflect.
You have to stop and rest.
Otherwise it's not even worthit.
(16:05):
Then why are you doing?
Then?
It feels like you're just doingit to check off boxes.
We have to remember that wateris everything, literally
everything.
Your mind will give up longbefore your body does.
It's going to tell you can't doit.
It's going to tell you're notworth it.
It's going to give you thatimposter syndrome.
It is going to tell you who doyou think you are doing this?
But at the end of the day,you're you, and if it makes you
(16:27):
happy and you feel fulfilled,just do it.
We all are going to reach thetop our own top in our own time,
and the view is going to be soworth it and I can guarantee you
you are going to give yourselfthe biggest hug and be so
thankful that you didn't give upon you.
I had a really greatconversation with a friend the
other day and we were talkingabout trusting people and we had
(16:49):
discussed how you're nevergoing to be able to fully trust
anyone until you can trustyourself.
And I know that, but as Irepeated this in conversation,
it hit me so hard you will neverfully trust anyone until you
can trust yourself.
And then today I saw a post onFacebook by a teacher friend who
(17:09):
talked about how she is socomfortable standing in her
power on her own.
On her words, she will never.
People, please, if you're goingto be in her life, be in her
life.
If you're going to leave, shewill never be afraid of losing
people, and that is my newstrive.
I never want to be afraid tolose someone.
If I am showing up asauthentically me and if I am
(17:30):
standing in my word, I neverwant to be afraid to lose people
and if I have to, they don'tneed to be and anyone that makes
you feel low, anyone that makesyou feel like you are not worth
it or not worthy, or that youneed to beg and grovel or I
don't even know.
People have all sorts of waysof manipulating to make you feel
bad, have something going oninside them, they are looking
(17:53):
for some sort of validation,they are struggling with
something in themselves.
Their journey on that incline.
They are looking around, theyare judging other people, they
are stopping.
They weren't even kind ofprepared.
You have to remember in order toreally show up in your life and
be fully you and pleaseunderstand I have lots of flaws
(18:13):
around this the more you trustyourself, the more you will
trust others.
The more you trust yourself,the easier it will be to get to
the top.
The more you trust yourself,the more you will know when to
drink water.
The more you trust yourself,the more you'll understand when
it's time to sit and reflect andbe quiet.
The more you trust yourself,the more you will cheer yourself
on when you're feeling you justcan't do it.
(18:35):
So Manitow Incline and ManitowSprings I highly recommend.
It's so amazing.
The view from the top is alwaysworth it.
Let's move into 2024 in adifferent mindset.
Learn how to trust yourself.
Learn how to stand on your wordand reflect on your actions and
learn from them.
There are way too many goodpeople and way too many good
(18:57):
things in this world to get hungup on hate.
Have a beautiful day, gooutside, drink some water and
sit in the sunshine Till nexttime.
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